The Taunton pitch proved the one winner as Somerset and Nottinghamshire fought out a high-scoring draw on the ultimate day of the County Championship Division One match on the Cooper Associates Floor.
James Rew staged a superbly-judged knock of 122 from 184 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore posted 104 – his fourth hundred in Somerset colors – as the house aspect declared their second innings on 407-5, setting the defending champions an unlikely victory goal of 417 in a minimal of 60 overs.
Though Jack Leach and Alfie Ogborne claimed three wickets between them to at the very least make the sport attention-grabbing for some time, a mixture of a real pitch, tremendous overhead circumstances and gritty resistance on the a part of Nottinghamshire’s top-order batters conspired to frustrate Somerset’s bid to power a win.
Ben Slater top-scored with 60 and shared in a first-wicket stand of 90 with Haseeb Hameed, whereas Jack Haynes and Freddie McCann served up early-evening resistance thereafter as Nottinghamshire superior to 140-3 of their second innings earlier than the captains shook palms at 17:17 BST with 15 overs unused, each side taking 13 factors apiece.
Time was of the essence for Somerset, who commenced the ultimate day 223 runs to the nice with 9 second-innings wickets in hand. Actually, Rew and Kohler-Cadmore batted with intent after resuming on 214-1, clearly taking part in with a declaration in thoughts.
Requiring simply six extra runs to register his fourteenth first-class hundred, Kohler-Cadmore pulled Dillon Pennington via mid-wicket to boost three figures from 168 balls together with his fourteenth 4, at which level he and Rew had established Somerset’s highest second-wicket stand in matches towards Nottinghamshire, eclipsing the 216 made by Arul Suppiah and Nick Compton at Trent Bridge in 2012.
Nevertheless it was not all plain crusing for the house aspect, gradual left armer Liam Patterson-White taking a skied return catch to account for Kohler-Cadmore after which pinning Rew lbw on the again foot within the act of taking part in throughout the road to hinder West Nation progress. Tom Lammonby then loved a slice of luck on 14, dropped by Patterson-White at cowl off the bowling of Olly Stone.
He made good his escape to stage a progressive stand of 80 in 14 overs with Tom Abell as the house aspect regained the initiative. Having struck a six and three fours, Abell holed out to long-on for a 37-ball 42, whereas Lammonby raised a fluent 69 from 80 deliveries earlier than being caught within the deep, Patterson-White making the most of Somerset’s haste to assert 4-175 from 35 overs.
Having accrued 156 runs within the morning session, Somerset reached lunch on 370-5, a lead of 379. Not desirous to danger defeat in pursuit of victory, the house aspect batted on, Lewis Goldsworthy and Craig Overton plundering a six apiece on the expense of Lyndon James in an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 37 from 23 balls to hasten the declaration.
Somerset wanted to take most benefit of the brand new ball beneath blue skies and on a pitch that held few demons for the batsmen in the event that they have been to power the difficulty. The brand new ball pair of Overton and Alfie Ogborne actually bent their backs, beating the bat on quite a few events and making life distinctly uncomfortable for Hameed and Slater.
Making use of themselves diligently, Nottinghamshire’s openers weathered the storm to boost a 50 partnership inside 13 overs and persuade the house aspect to name upon veteran campaigner Leach from the River finish. Quite worryingly for Somerset, the previous England spinner discovered little help within the pitch and Hameed issued an announcement of intent when straight-hitting him for six.
Slater additionally mustered staunch resistance, serving to himself to 9 fours in a 74-ball half century as Nottinghamshire reached the tea interval on 86 with out loss, nonetheless requiring an extra 331 from 34 overs.
Though a draw appeared by far the almost certainly end result, Somerset briefly introduced the sport to life by eradicating each openers with the rating on 90 early on within the remaining session. Recalled to the assault from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion finish, Ogborne produced a short-pitched supply to lure Slater into back-foot indiscretion, the left hander top-edging a catch to quick tremendous leg and departing for 60, whereas Hameed fell lbw to Leach for 27 within the subsequent over.
Simply when it seemed as if the competition was really fizzling out, Leach bowled a skittish Joe Clarke for 12 to additional cut back the guests to 104-3 and sow seeds of renewed hope amongst residence supporters. However Haynes and McCann stood agency thereafter to make sure an underwhelming finale.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Community, supported by Rothesay.
